1 Prayers 5 Motion 5 Honourable Glen Beache 5 Honourable Julian
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
No. 1 Thursday Fifth Session 28th January, 2010 Eighth Parliament SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES THE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) ADVANCE COPY OFFICIAL REPORT CONTENTS Thursday 28th January 2010 Prayers 5 Motion 5 Honourable Glen Beache 5 Honourable Julian Francis 26 Honourable Michael Browne 38 Honourable Terrance Ollivierre 54 Honourable St. Claire Leacock 65 Honourable Michelle Fife 77 Honourable Conrad Sayers 92 Suspension 96 1 THE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES OFFICIAL REPORT PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE FIRST MEETING, FIFTH SESSION OF THE EIGHTH PARLIAMENT OF SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES CONSTITUTED AS SET OUT IN SCHEDULE 2 TO THE SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES ORDER, 1979. FIFTH SITTING 28th JANUARY 2010 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY The Honourable House of Assembly met at 9:15 a.m. in the Assembly Chamber, Court House, Kingstown. PRAYERS MR. SPEAKER IN THE CHAIR Honourable Hendrick Alexander Present MEMBERS OF CABINET Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, Economic Planning, National Security, Grenadines and Legal Affairs Member for Central Windward Dr. the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves Attorney General Honourable Judith Jones-Morgan Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Commerce and Trade Member for Central Leeward Honourable Louis Straker Minister of National Mobilisation, Social Development, Gender Affairs, Non-Governmental Organisations, Local Government, Persons with Disabilities, Youths and Sports Member for West St. George Honourable Michael Browne Minister of Education Member for Marriaqua Honourable Girlyn Miguel 2 Minister of Rural Transformation, Information, Postal Service and Ecclesiastical Affairs Member for South Central Honourable Selmon Walters Windward Minister of Health and the Environment Member for South Leeward Dr. Douglas Slater Minister of Urban Development, Culture, Labour and Electoral Matters Member for West Kingstown Rene Baptiste Minister of Transport and Works Member for East St. George Honourable Clayton Burgin Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Member for North Windward Honourable Montgomery Daniel Minister of Telecommunications, Science Technology and Industry Member for North Leeward Honourable Dr. Jerrol Thompson Minister of Tourism Member for South Windward Honourable Glen Beache Honourable Conrad Sayers Member for Central Kingstown Minister of Housing, Informal Human Settlements, Physical Planning Lands and Surveys Government Senator Honourable Saboto Caesar Honourable Julian Francis Government Senator Honourable Rochelle Forde Government Senator/Deputy Speaker Parliamentary Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office Honourable Michelle Fife Government Senator OTHER MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE Honourable Arnhim Eustace Leader of the Opposition Member for East Kingstown Dr. the Honourable Godwin Friday Member for Northern Grenadines 3 Terrance Ollivierre Member for Southern Grenadines Honourable Major St. Claire Leacock Opposition Senator Honourable Daniel Cummings Opposition Senator 4 SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY THURSDAY 28TH JANUARY, 2010 PRAYERS The Honourable Speaker, Hendrick Alexander read the Prayers of the House. MOTION HONOURABLE SIR LOUIS STRAKER: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move that under Standing Order 12(5) that today’s proceedings be exempted from the hours of Sitting. Question put and agreed to. HONOURABLE MR. SPEAKER: And Honourable Member let me remind you that our charge…, I would suggest that I should read the charge again. I therefore have pleasure in doing so. It is taken from the book of Philippians Chapter 4:8 and it is, “brethren whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things.” That was Apostle Paul’s last charge to the Philippians in his Epistle to the Philippians and therefore, I believe that this should guide us throughout our debate during the course of the day and the rest of this week. Let me recognise all those who are visiting with us this morning as we continue the debate in this budgetary exercise debate, Honourable Minister of Tourism. HONOURABLE GLEN BEACHE: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members, this might be or it might not be, depending on the Honourable Prime Minister, my last Budget debate depends when the bell is rung and I have participated in quite a few not as many as some of my colleagues on this side and on the other side, but quite a few and as we go through this exercise, Mr. Speaker, and we listened to the Prime Minister’s presentation on the Budget and we listened to the Honourable Leader of the Opposition’s reply and we listened to each other, I am always amazed by some of the things that I hear. I listened to the Honourable Prime Minister, Mr. Speaker, and one has to wonder, sorry not the Honourable Prime Minister, the Honourable Leader of the Opposition and one has to wonder if the Opposition is living on this planet. I listened to the debate from that side and you can tell they do not sing from the same hymn sheet. You get one idea from one member, another from the other, one you are spending too much at a time like this, another one gets up and said Mr. Speaker, that we need to spend more money here, more money there. And what amazes me about this debate, Mr. Speaker, is simply this, we are dealing with an Opposition that was in 5 Government for 17 years, I think they built one school in 17 years, compared to how many have we built so far? How many have we built so far? One new school in 17 years, but what amazes me even more, Mr. Speaker, is that in all the debate from the Opposition, not once, not one time do I hear a new idea of how they will deal with things. Not once do I hear that. I hear the why you do not do this, you are spending too much money, but you need to spend more money here, but never do I hear one idea. I hear the things about victimization and I am sorry you know, Mr. Speaker, because you know the Honourable Leader of the Opposition, every time I speak he is never in this Parliament, never is he in this Parliament when I speak and I would like him to be here, because I do not want him to listen to it on the radio, [interjection] because I was waiting on you, I was waiting on you, because you see, Mr. Speaker, the Honourable Member for the Northern Grenadines has a habit of waiting on me to speak and then he gets up and then he says some rubbish, sorry, pardon the language, Mr. Speaker, then he says some things that really makes no sense, because he knows I cannot get up and speak of…, [interjection] well I am scared of you, I am scared of you Honourable Mr. Friday, so now that I am scared of you I am dealing with you head on and I am facing my fears. Fair enough? I am facing my fears [laughter] [applause] facing my fears head on. Mr. Speaker, I hear about victimization you know and a number of times I have tried to speak about victimization in this Honourable House and tears have come to my eyes and I have to stop, because Mr. Speaker, I say this, nobody probably with the exception of the Honourable Prime Minister in this Honourable House, oh sorry, and my God brother here sitting to the immediate left of me, has been in politics longer than I have. I have been in it before I was born, I have been it before Sir Vincent knew I was coming and I have been labour through and through and through, born and bred and will remain forevermore. So it amazes me, Mr. Speaker, when I hear the Opposition talk about victimization. This is an Opposition after the 1984 elections, Mr. Speaker, I remember I was 14 years old, they sent two policemen to our house, they took away my father’s passport, they took away his firearm, they cut water, electricity and phone, and this is the same Opposition that is speaking about victimization you know. The same Opposition that is speaking about victimization, Mr. Speaker, but that is not the worst of it, you see I wanted the Honourable Leader of the Opposition to be here this morning you know, because in that same 1984 elections the day after elections, this is the same person that called the Comptroller of Customs at that time and told him not to report to work. He said, there is no job for you at Customs, do not report to work. You know, we will make you Post Master General or something, but do not you dare report to Customs, there is no job for you there. The same Honourable Leader of the Opposition. But Mr. Speaker, not only from the Honourable Leader of the Opposition, I come to the Honourable Senator Leacock, before the 2001 elections, either before the 2001 or the 1998 elections, Mr. Speaker, this is the same person who said, when we win back that those of you who have voted for labour, we will deal with you. HONOURABLE ST. CAIRE LEACOCK: Mr. Speaker, the Honourable Member is speaking a terrible untruth, I have never, ever in my life made such statement publicly and or privately. Never ever made such statement in my life publicly and or privately and you have asked us this morning to be honest in this debate. Let us lift our debate and be truthful and debate to stop the character of deification. Please Mr. Speaker. 6 HONOURABLE GLEN BEACHE: Mr. Speaker, you know what I apologise, because what he says is that only NDP people should get work under an NDP Government.